Understanding Reincarnation

Reincarnation is an age-old belief that souls of living beings that have died are usually reborn into a new body in one form or another. The term literally means "to be made flesh again". Many supporters of reincarnation believe that at the end of each life, a new personality is being developed that is reborn into another form. Although a past personality may not have a memory of past experiences, there are some parts that do remain constant even through successive lives.

Belief Origins

The belief in reincarnation is very ancient and is deeply rooted in various religions. This doctrine is usually a central part of a big number of Indian religions such as Hinduism and Jainism. This belief has also been tackled by a number of ancient Greek philosophers. Aside from ancient religions, many modern beliefs have embraced the concept of reincarnation along with their own different interpretations of it.

Scientific Research

A lot of scientific research has been conducted through the years regarding the subject of reincarnation. One such research involves a study that was done by Ian Stevenson, a professor at the University of Virginia. He had collected several accounts of people’s lives that suggested of reincarnation. He devoted about 40 years into the study of children who have been heard speaking about a past life. Prof. Stevenson took into account all the statements and tried to collate it with a deceased person that seem to match the account of a particular child. Prof. Stevenson went even to the point of matching birth marks and other defects to the wounds and scars of the deceased.

Past Life Regression Hypnosis

Many believers of reincarnation usually stand by the concept due to certain evidences that show so-called proof about the concept. Some refer to procedures such as past life regression hypnosis as a means to look into a person’s past life. But the procedure itself remains controversial in that hypnosis is not considered as a reliable tool for the truth. The fact that hypnosis tries to attempt to reach the subconscious mind, does not seem to stand well with a lot of scientific experts. Hypnosis has been known to produce false or selective memory in people. There are many instances where people under hypnosis can be made to say what a hypnotist suggests.